Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Weekly Prayer Focus: Mali

Please be in prayer this week for our neighboring country, Mali. The Songhai are spread across 3 countries along the banks of the Niger River (Mali, Burkina Faso & Niger). As you can see from the picture below, the red line indicates where the Songhai are located in West Africa and that the majority of Songhai live in Mali.

According to BBC, "The kidnapping of a number of foreigners apparently at the hands of al-Qaeda has raised fears that the country is being used as a sanctuary by the militants. Mali has not adopted as tough a stance towards al-Qaeda as its neighbours Algeria and Mauritania, and has agreed to free militant prisoners in order to secure the release of foreign hostages. This has given rise to tensions between Mali and the other Saharan states."

Also, the US Department of State has issued this warning in their Worldwide Caution for international travelers: "Additionally, the terrorist group, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has declared its intention to attack Western targets throughout the Sahel (which includes Mali, Mauritania, and Niger), and has claimed responsibility for kidnappings, attempted kidnappings, and the murder of several Westerners."

These threats & the current security situation in Mali have caused us to put a halt on our efforts to minister in the Sahel region of Mali due to the fact that the Songhai are in those outlying lands where it seems to be most dangerous.

Would you please pray for the Lord to restore peace to Mali & for a door to be opened through which we may continue our ministry efforts there?